Women's Track and Field | 7/27/2016 2:32:36 PM

Kansas City, Mo. – The NCAA announced the conference honoree's for the 2016 Woman of the Year award in a release today. It narrows down the field from nearly 517 school nominee's to 142 that now remain in the running.

Now in its 26^th year, the Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
 
On the list for the MIAA was is women's track and field student athlete Heavin Warner from Central Missouri. The St. Joseph, Mo. native recently finished fifth in the hammer throw at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. She capped her UCM career in May by winning her third consecutive national championship in the hammer throw. She finished her career as a 10-time All-American with six UCM school records. She is also the all-time Division II record holder in the hammer throw, owning the top 12 throws of all-time. She was named the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.

The NCAA will next announced the top 30 nominees and from that will select the top three from each division and announce the top nine finalist in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year.

The 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, and the top 30 honorees celebrated, at the annual award ceremony on Oct. 16 in Indianapolis.